El Rosco heads for America with two U.S. pilots
A word game played in more than 10,000 episodes in 12 countries is trying America for the first time.
Valencia-based Good Formats is bringing two U.S. pilots of El Rosco to Mipcom, the annual television market in Cannes where channels and streamers shop for show ideas. A pilot is a sample episode made to sell a series, and this is the first time the company is targeting North American buyers with the format, the underlying rules and structure that can be remade locally, Variety reported.
The two versions are built for different slots. Run the Ring is a half-hour English-language version produced in Los Angeles. The Spanish-language El Rosco runs for an hour. Both were recorded in Los Angeles, according to Spanish industry outlet Cveintiuno.
Both pilots are fronted by Spanish presenter Christian Gálvez. He is a familiar face with the game, having hosted more than 3,500 episodes featuring El Rosco, according to Good Formats.
The game itself has a long run outside the U.S. It was first introduced on Italy’s Canale 5 in 1999. Since then it has appeared in more than 10,000 episodes across 12 countries, according to Good Formats. It has never aired in North America, original showrunner Andrea Olcese told Variety.
The structure stays the same in both U.S. versions. Returning champions face challengers, with a progressive jackpot that grows until someone wins it.
The American move was developed by Olcese with U.S. producer Lincoln Hiatt. Olcese is the original showrunner, the person in charge of the creative direction of a series.
What makes this stand out for buyers is how much road the idea already has. A format with that many episodes elsewhere arrives with timing, rules and production needs already tested.
The Mipcom pitch follows a May ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court concerning the game’s intellectual property rights. Olcese told Variety that MC&F Broadcasting Production and Distribution CV from the Netherlands created and has held all original El Rosco rights since 1999. From 2012, Good Formats S.L. in Valencia has been the official distributor, he said.
Mediaset holds exclusive El Rosco rights for Spain and Italy and is not involved in international distribution, according to Olcese. Good Formats works with Dubai-based MediaLeisure in Asia.
